Greg Perry Resigns As Director Of Medicines Patent Pool

Warning: Attempt to read property "post_title" on null in /home/clients/58f2a29976672af522a8f4d82ffa28b6/web/wp-content/plugins/better-image-credits/better-image-credits.php on line 227

After nearly five years as the executive director of the Medicines Patent Pool, Greg Perry has stepped down with little notice. [Update: the next day, it was announced that he has joined the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) in Geneva.]

The announcement came just a day after the Medicines Patent Pool announced an expansion of its signature patent database and presented its work to the patent law committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Greg Perry

In his time at the helm, “Perry has succeeded in establishing the MPP as the leading patent pooling and voluntary licensing mechanism dedicated to ensuring affordable access to medicines for people living in low- and middle-income countries,” the MPP said in a release.

In the interim on behalf of the MPP Governance Board, Marie-Paule Kieny will assume responsibility for the Medicines Patent Pool with the support of MPP’s senior management team. Kieny retired from the World Health Organization last summer and joined the MPP in September (IPW, IP & Health, 3 July 2017).

The Geneva-based MPP was spun off in 2010 from UNITAID, the WHO affiliate that works to improve drug affordability and availability in developing countries.

Prior to the MPP, Perry worked in the generic pharmaceutical industry.

The full MPP press release is reprinted below:


The Medicines Patent Pool Governance Board Announces Change in Leadership at the Foundation: Executive Director Greg Perry Resigns to Pursue Other Opportunities

Geneva, 14 December 2017 — The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) Governance Board announced today that Greg Perry, Executive Director of the foundation since January 2013, has resigned from his post to pursue new opportunities.

In nearly five years with the MPP, Perry has succeeded in establishing the MPP as the leading patent pooling and voluntary licensing mechanism dedicated to ensuring affordable access to medicines for people living in low- and middle-income countries.

“Greg leaves the MPP in a very strong position for its future work in improving treatment options in developing countries. The Board would like to thank him for his invaluable contribution and leadership during his time as Executive Director,” said Marie-Paule Kieny, Chair of the foundation’s Governance Board. “We wish him every success in his next projects.”

During Greg Perry’s tenure, the MPP has gained the confidence of originator and generic pharmaceutical companies, civil society groups, governments and international organisations. To date, the MPP has signed voluntary licensing agreements with nine patent holders as well as sublicensing agreements with 20 generic manufacturers and product developers. MPP’s licensing agreements enable access to affordable medicines in 131 developing countries, and its sublicensees have distributed more than five billion doses of WHO-recommended HIV antiretrovirals, equivalent to 14 million patient years of treatment.

Building on its success in HIV medicines, the MPP has extended its mandate into other disease areas, beginning with tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis C (HCV). The MPP has signed three licensing agreements for TB and HCV treatments and has initiated an internal feasibility study to assess opportunities for the expansion of MPP’s model into other essential medicines.

Apart from its licensing work, the MPP has played an active role in partnering with other public health bodies including governmental institutions, international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and universities in order to promote its access objectives. The creation of MedsPaL, a database of patents and licensing information for HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis and other essential medicines in developing countries is a notable achievement.

MPP’s work is supported by a highly professional international team, each of whom has played an integral role in the overall success of the MPP. The MPP will now initiate a recruitment process for a new Executive Director. In the interim on behalf of the MPP Governance Board, Dr Marie-Paule Kieny will assume responsibility for the Medicines Patent Pool with the support of MPP’s senior management team.

 

Combat the infodemic in health information and support health policy reporting from the global South. Our growing network of journalists in Africa, Asia, Geneva and New York connect the dots between regional realities and the big global debates, with evidence-based, open access news and analysis. To make a personal or organisational contribution click here on PayPal.